Cooling system for double seals



Feb. 17, 1953 C; VQYTECH 2,628,852

COOLING" SYSTEM FOR DOUBLE SEALS Filled Feb. 2, 1949 Patented Feb. 17, 1953 COOLING SYSTEM FOR DOUBLE SEALS Charles F. Voytech, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Crane Packing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,216

5 Claims.

1 This invention relates to mechanical rotary seals and particularly to a cooling means for this type of seal.

Mechanical rotary seals are frequently required to handle hot fluids, the temperature of which is so high as to affect adversely the condition of the sealing faces and the flexible sealingmedium used to seal the surf-ace with respect to its support. The heat of friction developed by the relative rotation bteween the sealing surfaces frequently is of itself sufficiently high to affect adcrating in a dry condition. The dry operation is aggravated when high speeds and pressures are encountered, both of which add to the frictional forces developed which in turn are translated into heat. 7 Various means for cooling the seal surfaces have been proposed. One such means utilizes the rotating element of the seal as a van-ed pump to circulate the fluid adjacent the seals around the cooperating sealing element. The vaned type of cooling system, however, causes a circulation 'of the fluid having a tangential component of movement which may produce an undesirable torque upon the cooperating sealing element. The principal object of this invention is to provide a cooling system for a rotary mechanical seal wherein the fluid is directed across the ends of the cooperating seal faces in a predetermined direction.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a cooling system for a rotarymechanioal seal wherein the rotary element of the seal is pro- "vided with vanes which induce an axial flow in a surrounding coolant and in which stationary flow straightening means is provided to remove any tangential component in the flow of the cool-ant as it passes over the cooperating sealing element.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a cooling system for a rotary mechanical seal having a stationary sealing washer and a rotating sealing washer, both of which are formed with axially extending vanes such that the rotary vanes act as a pump and the stationary vanes act as cooling fins, with a flow straightener introduced between the two sets of vanes to elimi Irate any (torque in the vanes on the stationary sealing washer.

These and other features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed de- 2 scription when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary quarter-section taken through a rotary mechanic-a1 seal incorporating the features of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section through the vanes taken along line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the relative angularity of the vanes on the rotary seal as well as the flow straightener.

Referring now to Fig. l for a detailed description of the invention, there is shown a shaft [0 having a shoulder ll formed by a reduced diameter section if. Said shaft it passes through an opening 13 in a housing 14, opening l3 being in communication with a fluid to be sealed. This fluid may bea volatile gas such as propane or butane and may have poor lubricating qualities. If the housing M is that of a pump, such as might be used on a pipe line for [transporting .propane from a refinery to a distant city, it is known that the propane is rendered substantially worthless if even a relatively minute quantity of oil is permitted to contaminate the propane. Thus it is not desirable in any seal that might be used between the shaft and housing to use oil under pressure as a lubricating medium.

' ing, said ring in the form selected for illustration radial cross-section.

being comprised of rubber and having a circular dimensions of the groove being such that ring N3 is compressed against section l-2 by the groove. Collar i5 is clamped against shoulder II by a sleeve it which is threaded at l9 upon section 12. Thus, sleeve [8' and collar I5 are constrained to rotate with shaft I0, and are held against axial movement thereon by the threaded section 19.

Collar i5 is provided with a wear-resistant insert 26 having a surface 2] which is radially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of shaft it and which is suitably ground and lapped so as to be perfectly flat and smooth. Cooperating with insert 29 is a sealing Washer '22 which is as to be perfectly flat and smooth. Thus surfaces 2| and 2-4 when pressed together form a gas-tight seal despite any relative rotation that might take .place between washer 22 and collar 15.

Washer 22 is sealed with respect to housing [4 Ring 16 is confined in a. groove l1 formed in the interior of washer I5, the

by means of a ring 25 of resilient compressible packing such as rubber or the like which is contained in a groove 26 formed in washer 22. A closure-plate 21 serves as the mounting means for washer 22 and is formed with a cylindrical surface 28 against which ring 25 is compressed by the bottom of groove 26. An abutment 29 is formed on closure-plate 21, and a spring 30 is compressed between the left-hand end of washer 22, as viewed in Fig. 1, and the abutment 29 to provide an axial force for holding washer 22 and its surface 24 against surface 2| on collar I5. Closure-plate 21 is bolted as at 3| to housing M, with the usual gasket 32 inserted between the said closure-plate and housing to form a fluidtight seal.

A chamber 36 for holding a coolant is provided around collar l and washer 22. This chamber is formed in part by an axial extension 33 on closure-plate 21, by a cylindrical coolant housing 34 and by a coolant housing closure-plate 35. In order to prevent the escape of the coolant out of chamber 36, a rotary mechanical seal is provided, the seal being com rised of a second insert 31 on collar 5 on the side opposite to that on which insert is applied, and by a sealing washer 33 having an insert 39 thereon cooperating with insert 31 to provide a fluid-tight seal. Washer 38 is sealed with respect to closure-plate 35 by a ring 46 of resilient deformable packing made of rubber or the like and having a circular radial cross-section. Instead of a groove, ring 46 operates in a space defined by a shoulder 4| on closure-plate 35 and another shoulder 42 formed in washer 38. A spring 43 is compressed between closure-plate 35 and an abutment 44 on washer 38 so as to exert an axial force on the Washer to hold said washer in contact with insert 31. It is understood that radial surface 45 on insert 31 and radial surface 46 on insert 39 are ground and lapped so as to rovide a fluid-tight running fit between inserts 3! and 38.

The coolant in chamber 36 is ada ted to be circulated through an outlet conduit 41 disposed adjacent washer 22, a heat extracting device 48 of any suitable character and an inlet conduit 49 having an opening 56 in proximity to collar 5. The circulation of the coolant is induced by a series of radially disposed vanes 5| which, as

. shown in Fig. 2, are turned at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation of shaft I6, such that if the rotation is in the direction of the arrow, the coolant will be urged axially as well as rotationally by the rotation of the collar I5 and its vanes 5|. washer 22 as rapidly as possible, a plurality of cooling fins 52 are formed on the outer surface of the washer, said fins 52 being disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft l0 and extending radially outwardly from the washer.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that the rotational component induced in the coolant by vanes 5| will tend to rotate'washer 22 in the same direction and thus would tend to turn the washer with respect to the pack ng ring 25. This rotating action is undesirable since, if the ring were set in motion by the fluid, packing ring would soon wear to the point where it no longer was effective to provide a seal between closure-plate 21 and washer 22. the torque imposed on washer 22 by the fluid might tend to change its position relative to collar l5 to the point where surfaces 2| and 24 are I no longer in intimate contact with one another,

In order to extract the heat from Furthermore,-

thereby again tending to destroy the seal between shaft I6 and housing I4.

To eliminate the circumferential component of movement in the coolant, a plurality of flow straightening vanes 53 are provided on housing 34. Vanes 53 are parallel with fins 52 and extend radially inwardly almost in contact with washer |5, such that substantially all of the coolant must pass through the flow straightening vanes 53 before it can contact cooling fins 52 on Washer 22.

In operation, the rotation of shaft |6 compels the rotation of collar I5 and its associated vanes 5| which in turn induces an axial flow in the coolant in chamber 36. This axial flow is straightened by flow straightening vanes 53 so that the fluid impinges upon fins 52 of washer 22 in the desired manner. The pressure of the coolant as it leaves fins 52 is sufficiently high to force the coolant out of chamber 36 through outlet conduit 47 into the heat extractor 48 and then through inlet conduit 49 back to chamber 36. This circulation, since it is a result of the rotation of shaft Ill, is therefore a function of the rotation of shaft Ill so that the faster the shaft rotates, the greater will be the movement of the coolant. This relationship is desirable since the heat generated'between surfaces 2| and 24 is likewise a function of the speed of rotation of shaft 0 relative to washer 22. Inasmuch as the fluid passes directly over the outer edges of the inserts 20 and 23, the maximum cooling effect will be secured at the surface while the passage of the coolant through the cooling fins 52 will effect a maximum heat extraction from the body of the Washer 22.

Vanes 5| and 53 and fins 52 may be formed as integral parts of the elements with which they are directly associated. Thus they may be cast or machined into collar l5, washer 22 and housing 34. It is contemplated, however, that any other suitable means for forming the said vanes may likewise be utilized. It is also contemplated that the relative angularity between the vanes 5| and 53 and fins 52 may be varied to secure any desired effect upon fins 52 and the associated washer 22. Thus the direction of the fluid may be reversed with respect to the direction of rotation of vanes 5!. When so reversed, the friction torque developed between surfaces 2| and 24 can be balanced by the fluid pressure and no mechanical holding means will be required to prevent relative rotation between washer 22 and plate 21.

It is understood that the foregoing description is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of this invention and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a rotary sealing device having a member provided with a radially disposed sealing surface and a rotatable member having a radially disposed sealing surface in contact with the first-mentioned sealing surface to form a fluid-tight seal therebetween, cooling means for the members, said cooling means comprising a housing surrounding the sealing device and defining a chamber around the said device, a resilient support for the first-mentioned member on said housing to allow the said first-mentioned member to move relative to the housing to take up for wear and misalignment of said members, a coolant in the chamber and in contact with the sealing device, and means for circulating the coolant over the said members, said means comprising vanes rotatable with the rotatable member and adapted to force the coolant toward the other member, cooling fins on the said other member in the path of the coolant, and means between the vanes and fins and operable upon the coolant for substantially eliminating torque on the said other member resulting from passage of the coolant over the said other member.

2. In combination with a rotary sealing device having a member provided with a radially disposed sealing surface and a rotatable member having a radially disposed sealing surface in contact with the first-mentioned sealing surface to form a fluid-tight seal therebetween, cooling means for the members, said cooling means comprising a housing surrounding the sealing device and defining a chamber around the device, said rotatable member passing through the housing, means for effecting a seal between the housing and rotatable member, a coolant in the chamber, means on the rotatable member for inducing a flow of the coolant over the first-mentioned member, cooling fins on the said first-mentioned member in the path of the coolant and means on the housing interposed in the coolant fiow ahead of the fins for substantially eliminating any tangential component of the fiow relative to the fins.

3. The combination described in claim 2, said last-mentioned means comprising a plurality of vanes on the housing, said vanes being substantially parallel with the fins, on the first-mentioned member,

4. The combination described in claim 2, said means for inducing flow in the coolant comprising vanes on the rotatable member extending radially into proximity to the housing and axially spaced from the cooling fins, and said last-mentioned means comprising vanes on the housing extending radially into proximity to the housing and disposed in the space'between the fins and flow-inducing vanes.

5. The combination described in claim 2, said means for inducing fiow in the coolant comprising vanes on the rotatable member extending radially into proximity to the housing and axially spaced from the cooling fins, said last-mentioned means comprising vanes on the housing extending radially into proximity to the housing and disposed in the space between the fins and fiowinducin vanes, an external heat-extracting means for the coolant; and conduits connecting the chamber with the external heat-extracting means.

CHARLES F. VOYTECH.

- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Lenhart Jan. 17, 1950 

